Hopper door for railway cars



Jan. 10, 1928.

J. S. SWANN HOPPER DOOR FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed May 20, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .Ewenfar: Jzmes 61311131212 I Jan. 10, 1928.

J. S. SWANN HOPPER noon FOR RAILWAY CARS ;'Fi1ed May 20. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .fflveflfor: James 15161021212 Htiornqy lfl Patented Jan. 10, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES S. SWANIT, O13 CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, TO UNION METAL PRODUCTS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A GORPOIEtf-LCEION OF DELAWARE.

HOPPER DOOR FOR RAILWAY CARS.

Application filed. May 20,

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof within the scope of the claims will occur to persons skilled in the art. a

The invention relates to a 'ailway dump car having a door forming a part of the car for retaining the load therein which door is provided with hinges adjacent one of its edges and is capable of being dropped or swung open so that the load in discharging" slides or passes over the upper surface of the door. Any means of raising the door to the closed position and any means for locking and releasing the door may be employed with my device.

A. door for this purpose must be very strong and durable because:

First, it is a part of the floor of the car and as such must sustain the load as Well as the impact blow of the load when the car is in motion. Second, the car is frequently loaded from chutes or tipples from a height of ten feet or more, causing the load to be dropped directly upon the doors. Third, clam shell buclrcts are frequently used to on load. such cars and. it is not uncommon for these buclrets to rest upon and drag over the doors. Fourth, when the door suddenly comes to rest after being dropped, it is not only subjected to a severe shock but it must sustain the severe impact thrust of the load which of course follows the door. Fifth, as the load is theoretically equally distributed, the door must be strong over its entire area and must be capable of transmitting the re sulting stresses to the car body without much deflection and no suhstantial distortion. llny bending of the door or drooping of the corners would cause a leak of the .lading, especially of such fine material as sand, chats, etc. Any bending or warping might inter fere with the complete closing and locking of the door.

As it cos s as much to haul a ton of car it does to haul a ton of paying freight, it imperative that the car and any part thereof be as light as possible. Furthermore, the total weight of the car and freight is determined by the strength of certain standard asles, so that thelighter the car 1926. SeriatNo. 110,395.

the greater amount of freight a given car will be allowed to carry.

An object of the invention is to make a door for a railway dump car by forming a metallic plate with integral corrugations or embossments in such a way that the entire area of the door in contact with the cargo is reinforced against deflection and the door is made capable of transmitting a load on any part thereof to its supporting members. More specifically, the invention consists in providing a metallic door with a plurality of integral minor corrugations which transmit any load imposed upon them to relatively stronger major corrugations, which in turn, carry the load to the means which support the door to the car.

1" further object of the invention is to make a. door for a railway dump car by forming a metallic plate with its central portion depressed to form a panel. with a con tinuous stiffening web surrounding it, which panel is formed with corrugations to stiffen it and to carry any load imposed thereupon to the surrounding web. The continuous web is positioned slightly within the edges of the plate to provide a marginal portion for contact with the associated parts of the car to malrc it hiding-proof. llhis marginal portion may be flanged to further stiffen the door.

The advaiiitages of my door are applicable to any door of a freight car, such as drop bottom general service cars (used in the drawings) hopper cars, swinging side doors or hopper bottom coal cars, etc.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a portion of car with my device applied thereon.

Fig. 9. is a cross section of the car showing one door in open position and another door in closed position.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the door and associated parts on line 8-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. l shows the door in detail.

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. l.

Fig. 6 is a section on line G(i of Fig. l.

Fig. 7 shows a modified form.

Fig. 8 is a section on line 8'-8 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a section on line 9-9 of Fig. 7.

To illustrate one adaptation of my device I have shown a so-called general service drop bottom gondola car wherein the major portion. of the door consists of drop doorsl a railway dump till The door openings are surrounded by the center construction 1, side wall 2 and cross diaphragms 3. In normal or closed position the door completely closes this opening, and in fact, is a trifle larger on all sides than the opening so as to provide a lap joint between the door and the car frame members. The doors are hinged to the center construction and are supported adjacent the side i wall by the raising or looking mechanisms.

Any convenientstop may be used to limit the downward movement of the door.

In the preferred form as shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 the metallic plate is reinforced with one or more major corrugations 5 which traverse the plate so as to carry any load im posed upon them to the opposite sides of the door. The sides of the plate are reinforced in some manner, preferably by integral flanges 6, which project in the same direction as the corrugations or vice versa, as desired. The panel is also provided with other corrugations 7 which are preferably positioned substantially normal to the major corruga tions, 0, and transmit any load imposed upon them to the major corrugations. These minor corrugations 7 terminate adjacent the major corrugations. The panel is also provided with other minor corrugations 8 which transmit the load imposed upon them partially to one of the major corrugations 5 and partially to the flange 6. These outer minor corrugations 8 terminate adjacent the major corrugations and flange, respectively.

Figs. 7 to 9, inclusive, show a modified form wherein the central portion of the metallic plate is pressed to form a marginal portion 20 surrounding a continuous unending web 21 which surrounds a panel The plate may also be provided with flanges 23. The major corrugations 5 carry any load imposed upon them-to opposite portions of this web and the outer minor corrugations 8 carry an load imposed upon them partially to the a jacent' major corrugation and par tially to the web. The major corrugations 5 terminate adjacent the web 21, and the outer minor corrugations terminate adjacent the web. j

The relative strength of the major and the minor corrugations and also of the flange orweb will depend upon the arrangement of the corrugations which will determine their length and the load sustained, which in turn, will determine their relative strength requirement. In the preferred construction, however, the minor corrugations are'eomparatively short and positioned close to each other and, therefore, may be relatively weaker than the major corrugations. As several of the major corrugations carry their stresses to the flange (or web in the modified form) this flange should be correspondingly stronger. Corrugations or embossments, such as shown, could, of course, be

made stronger by making them wider but it is preferred to make them stronger by making them deeper. In consideration of the above, I prefer to make the flange (or web) deeper than .the major corrugations and "JlflliO the major corrugations deeper than the minor corrugations.

The major corrugations 5 are preferably positioned with one end adjacent the sup porting hinges SO and with the other end adjacent the support lilting (or locking) mechanism 31 whereby the loads imposed upon them are transmitted directly (or substantially so) to the door supporting device. The strap hinges 32 are prciizrably located below the major corrugations 5, as shown in Fig. 1, so as to secure c .i-operatiou between them, or in other words, each rein forces the other.

The minor corrugations, as stated above, transmit their loads to the major corrugations and are preferably normal thereto. However, they may be positioned obliquely, as shown in Fig. i.

- I claim:

1. In combination with the other elements of a, railway dump car, a door made of a metallic plate termed with a marginal portion'surroundiug a continuous web which surround a panel, aid panel formed with corrugations which traverse the panel, said anel also formed with corrugations with their opposite ends merging into the panel adjacent the first mentioned corrugations.

2. In combiinition willi'ihe other elements of a railway dump car, a door made oi" a metallic plate formed with a n'larginal por tion surrounding a continuous web which surrounds a panel. said panel. Formed with corrugations which traverse the panel and are o't less depth than the web. said panel also formed with corrugations with their opposite ends u'icrging into the panel adjacent the first n'icntioned corrugations.

3, In combination with the other elcnwnls of a railway dump car. a door inadc ol a metallic plate formed with a marginal portion'surrounding a conlinuons web which surrounds a panel, said panel Formed with corrugations which travewe the panel, said panel also formed with shallower corrugations with their opposite ends merging into the panel adja ent the first mentioned corrugations.

4;. In combination with the other elements of a railway dump car, a door made of a metallic plate formed with a marginal portion surrounding a continuous web which surrounds a-panel, said panel formed with corrugations which traverse the panel, said panel also formed with corrugations with their opposite ends merging into the panel adjacent the first mentioned corrugations and. also formed with other corrugations with one end merging into the panel adja- Sill Ian

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means? cent one of the first mentioned corrugations with their opposite ends merging into the panel adjacent the continuous web.

5. In combination with the other elements of a railway dump car, a door made of a metallic plate formed with a marginal portion surrounding a continuous web which surrounds a panel, said panel formed with corrugations which traverse the panel, said panel also formed with shallower corrugations with their opposite ends merging into the panel adjacent the first mentionedcorrugations and also termed with other shallow corrugations with one end merging into the panel adjacent one of the first mentioned corrugations with their opposite ends merging into the panel adjacent the coin tinuous web.

ii. In combination with the other elements oi? a railway dump car, a door made of a metallic plate :lormed with corrugations which traverse the door, and other corrugations with their opposite ends merging into the panel adjacent the first mentioned corrugations.

7. in combination with the other elements oi a railway dump car, a door niade oi a metallic plate formed with corrugations which traverse the door, and other shallower corrugations with their opposite ends merging into the panel adjacent the first mentioned corrugations.

8. In combination with the other elements oi a railway dump car, a door made of a metallic plate formed with corrugations which traverse the door, and other corrugations with their opposite ends merging into the panel adjacent the first mentioned. corrugations, and also formed with other corrugations positioned between one oi? the first mentioned corrugations and a side of the door with one end merging into the panel adjacent one of the first mentioned corrugations and their opposite ends 1nerging into the panel adjacent the side of the door.

9.111 combination with the other elements of a railwa dump car, a door made ot a metallic plate formed with corruga tions which traverse the door, and other shallower corrugations with. their opposite ends merging into the panel adjacent the first mentioned corrugations, and also termed with other shallow corrugations positioned between. one of the first mentioned corrugations and a side of the door with one end merging into the panel adjacent one of the first mentioned corrugations and their opposite ends merging into the panel adjacent the side of the door.

10. In combination with the other elements of a railway dump car, a door made of a metallic plate formed with corruga tions which traverse the door, and other corrugations with their opposite ends inerging into the panel adjacent the first mentioned corrugations, and also termed with other corrugations positioned between one of: the first mentioned corrugations and a side of the door with one end merging into the panel adjacent one of the first mentioned corrugations and their opposite ends merging into the panel adjacent the side of the door, said plate having flanges at the sides of the door parallel to the first 111entioned corrugations.

11. A door made of a metallic plate formed with relatively strong corrugations, and relatively weaker corrugations spanning the distance therebetween.

12. A door made of a metallic plate formed with relatively strong corrugations, and relatively weaker corrugations span ning the distance therehetween and also formed with other relatively wealr corruga tions positioned between one of the first mentioned corrugations and the side oi the door and extending at an angle thereto.

13. In a dump car, a door provided with hinges for supporting it to the car body, said door inade oi a metallic plate formed with relatively strong corrugations extending from adjacent the hinges to the opposite side of the door, and relatively weaker corrugations spanning the distance therebetween.

14;. In a dump car, a door provided with hinges for supporting it to the car hody, said door made of a metallic plate formed with relatively strong corrugations extending from adjacent the hinges to the opposite side of the door, and relatively weaker corrugations spanning the distance therehetween, and also formed with other relatively weal; corrugations positioned hetween one of the first mentioned corrugations and the side of the door and extending at an angle thereto.

JAB/[ES S. SWANN. 

